Pictured is Hope Vette, second from left, with her family, daughter, Mikayla Vette Ridley, left, Hope’s husband Mike Vette and daughter Hannah Vette, right.

Reagan Walker, Isabella Kroeger and Ella Meyerkorth stand with their artwork that was chosen for the 2017-2018 Principal’s Art Gallery.

The winner of the drawing for the $100 bill was Jaymes Herron.

Rylee Jenkins, Reagan Walker, Clint Steffen, Bannack Skillen and Dylan Kemerling are shown with their 6th Grade Band Award.

Grant Spiegel (1st), Tayln Amthor (2nd), Mya Welch (3rd), Nora Watkins (4th),Ryan Lucas (5th) and Bannack Skillen (6th)received the Top Reader Award from each grade.

The 2017-2018 Elementary Awards were presented by Mr. Steve Waigand, Principal, May 21, 2018. He welcomed those attending to “celebrate together the fine kids and teachers we have at Rock Port Elementary.” The following is a list of awards:
Superior Attendance (missed 2 days or less the entire year): Brandon Athen, Ryan Athen, Isaiah Barbee, Jayden Barbee, Tayden Cook, Eli Cox, Audrey Dougherty, Cali Driskell, Jacoby Driskell, Logan Ellis, Stevie Gaines, Chase Gayler, Clara Hays, Reese Herron, Izac Hurst, Quentin Jackson, Jadyn Jakub, Rylee Jenkins, Peyton Lager, Tennyson Lansdown, Caleb Palmer, Tenley Peshek, Stevie Pritt, Maeve Roup, Olivia Roup, Aidan Smyser, Trenton Wallace, Tara Wamsley, Norah Watkins, Mya Welch, Cole White, and Zoey Zach.
Perfect Attendance (missed no more than one-half day the entire year): Desmond Chaney, Brady Cox, Maddie Cox, Reid Ellis, Jessa Geib, Malayna Gibson, Jaysa Welch, Jaymes Herron, Ryder Herron, Camden McEnaney, Jayme McEnaney, Mason McMahon, Declan McRaven, Corbin Wallace, and Maddie Wilroy.
Elementary Student Council Representatives: Tatum Vogler and Desmond Chaney, 3rd grade; Keira Roup and Jacoby Driskell, 4th grade; Bracton Cook and Payten Shrader, 5th grade; and Reed Miller and Cade Makings, 6th grade.
President’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement (given only to sixth graders): Reagan Walker, Jaysa Welch, Ozey Hurst, Rylee Jenkins, and Ally Youngs. The purpose of this award is to recognize students that show outstanding educational growth, improvement, commitment or intellectual development in their academic subjects. These students have met at least one of the following criteria: maintained a grade average above an A- in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade; scored in the 90th percentile in either reading or math on the MAP test.
President’s Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence (given only to sixth graders): Jenasey Mace, Clint Steffen, Chaney Vogler, Dylan Kemerling, Bannack Skillen, and Paycee Slusher. The Presidential Academic Excellence Award is given nationally to honor student achievement and hard work. To qualify for this award, students must have met both of the previous criteria.
Maradi Mifflin Spelling Bee: Bracton Cook, 1st; Dylan Kemerling, 3rd
Atchison County Spelling Bee: Bracton Cook, 2nd
275 Conference Spelling Bee: Mya Welch, 1st place, 3rd-4th division; Bracton Cook, 3rd place, 5th-6th division
Top Reader Awards: 1st grade – Grant Spiegel, 74.7 points; 2nd grade – Talyn Amthor, 63.0 points; 3rd grade – Mya Welch, 279.0 points; 4th grade – Norah Watkins, 220.0 points; 5th grade – Ryan Lucas, 515.0 points; and 6th grade – Bannack Skillen, 864.3 points.
2018 Battle of the Books certificates were presented by Mrs. Skillen. Atchison County Battle of the Books champions were The Punky Readers – Bannack Skillen Clint Steffen, Malachi Skillen, Ryan Lucas. Other teams participating were: The Rockin’ Readers – Paycee Slusher, Dylan Kemerling, Rylee Jenkins; The Reading Lizards – Dylan Lair, Tayden Cook, Norah Watkins, Jadyn Lawrence; The American Bookers – Ryland Garst, Bracton Cook, Aricin Weber; Reading Rhinos – Avery Meyerkorth, Emma Teten, Stevie Pritt; The Readers – Makaila Pruett, Lilly Pankau, Cali Driskell; Genius Jays – Ryder Herron, Daytona Paris, Ella Meyerkorth, Grant Henning.
Band Awards were presented by Mrs. Palmer. All awards are based upon great leadership, responsibility, positive attitude, good sectional guidance, and practicing in general. 5th Grade Band Awards – Avery Meyerkorth, Claire Spiegel, Addi Maifeld, Ryan Lucas, Roland Garst, Jakobie Hays, Trenton Wallace; 6th Grade Band Awards – Rylee Jenkins, Reagan Walker, Clint Steffen, Dylan Kemerling, Bannack Skillen.
Principal’s Art Gallery 2017-2018: Reagan Walker, Grade 6; Ella Meyerkorth, Grade 4; Isabella Kroeger, Grade 1.
Mrs. Farley and Mrs. Lawrence presented the 2018  Outstanding Educator Award.
Mrs. Farley read the following: I will be presenting the 2017-18 Rock Port Elementary Teacher of the Year Award today BUT first I would like to have ALL the teachers stand up. Boys and girls – do you know that these wonderful dedicated people come here each day just for YOU! Each of these teachers comes to school day after day to help you learn and grow. I am honored to be a part of such a great group of people who care so much about the students they work with. Let’s show them our appreciation for all they do!
Now for the presentation of the 2017-18 Elementary Teacher of the Year Award! Let’s do a little activity to find out who this honored teacher is: please stand if you went to second grade here at Rock Port. Now, sit down if Mrs. Lawrence or Mrs. Amthor was your second grade teacher. Those of you left standing, you have something in common. You were all taught by this year’s Elementary Teacher of the Year! I am honored to be presenting this award to a friend and co-worker, Mrs. Hope Vette!
Eleven years ago, Mrs. Vette began teaching second grade here at Rock Port after teaching at Tarkio Elementary for many years. She is a dedicated teacher who loves and cares for her second grade students. She has high expectations for their behavior and academic achievement. The students she has taught respect and admire her for years after they have left second grade. She makes her classroom a fun and inviting place for learning to occur. The last few years, her students have enjoyed occasional or maybe frequent visits by one of her cats – Simba. Another love of hers has also brought enjoyment to the second grade students and parents – the annual field trip to Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums is a favorite to all!
Mrs. Vette’s dedication to her teaching and students is evident by her late nights and weekends she spends preparing lessons for her students. Her van can be seen at school at all hours of the day and night – and recently for an extended time when she was afraid it had finally died . . . but I think it is going to outlast us all!
Mrs. Vette is married to Mike and they have two wonderful daughters: Hanna and Makayla. She enjoys traveling and is looking forward to doing even more in her retirement – beginning with an upcoming Alaskan cruise – which I am so jealous of!
Dedication to school and family make Mrs. Vette an excellent choice for the 2017-2018 Rock Port Elementary Teacher of the Year! Thank you Mrs. Vette for all you have done! We will miss you!
Mrs. Lawrence read the following: My first memories of Mrs. Vette go back to summer basketball camps at Tarkio College. However, she was Hope Allen at the time. She and her Tarkio High School teammates were there along with teams from other schools. They always seemed to be having a good time – laughing and joking around as camp started each day, during breaks and at the end of the day, but when it was time to work on offensive and defensive skills or have scrimmages they were very focused, dedicated, devoted, and passionate about being a team. Those traits would serve them well as they were a dominate force on the court during Hope’s high school career.
I remember thinking how lucky Tarkio was to be getting Hope among their ranks when she was hired as a teacher and a coach. Yes, and a coach! She was just as dedicated, devoted, and passionate as a coach as she had been as a player.
I watched through the years as Hope continued to teach, coach, and raise her daughters. Both Hanna and Makayla were active in sports throughout their elementary years and on into their junior high and high school years. If Hope wasn’t coaching them she was on the sidelines cheering them on and videotaping. Her passion, dedication and devotion continued on with her daughters. She always wanted the best for them and for them to be the best they could be as individuals, students, and athletes.
When Hope accepted a second grade teaching position at Rock Port Elementary I was excited thinking of the exceptional person and teacher we were gaining! However, not only did we add Hope to our staff we added her family to our community. Daughters, Hanna and Makayla, seemed to fit right in at Rock Port High School! I had the privilege of watching the Vette girls and the Lawrence girls be teammates in cross-country, volleyball, basketball, and track. Hope was always talking strategies with the different sports teams at their meals and encouraging them to do their best. It was there again – the dedication, the devotion, and the passion. Hope wanted that for the student athletes.
Six years ago I was offered the opportunity to move from teaching third grade to second grade. I was very excited for the chance to be a co-teacher with Hope! Now I had to wonder if she was as excited about me as a co-teacher as I was about her! Hope and I have spent countless hours together in the evenings and on weekends making lesson plans together, strategizing about what we could do differently to help students, fumbling through computer and technology programs together, crying, and laughing! Hope has been very passionate about her teaching career, very devoted to her students each school year, and very dedicated to making sure to do the best that she can for each student she has in her class.
I want to thank Hope for all that she’s done for me as a co-teacher but most of all thanks for being my friend!
Please join me in honoring Mrs. Hope Vette as the 2018 Teacher of the Year!
The 2017-18 School Year Attendance Championship went to the third grade with 97.44%. They beat the second grade by one hundredth of a percentage point (97.43%).
The winner of the drawing for the $100 bill (based on attendance and meeting reading goals) was Jaymes Herron.
Elementary students were given two challenges as they head into summer: (1) Take the Summer Reading challenge (reading 15 minutes a day for 70% of the days). If 50 students successfully complete the challenge Mr. Waigand will spend the day up on the roof of the school; (2) STEM Challenge – Rock Port R-II has some great kick-ball players. Sometimes when they kick it just right the wind takes it and it lands on top of the school roof. Mr. Waigand’s challenge is to create a device that can get playground balls off the top of the roof (14’-15’ high). The device must be able to be run by students. A contract for the design and $100 will be awarded to the winning project.